As the size of VLSI circuits increases, the use of random testing is becoming more common. One of the most important aspects of random testing is the determination of the test pattern length that guarantees a high confidence of fault detection. Generally, random test length is estimated by assuming that the set of test patterns applied is purely random. The assumption is not completely correct in applications where linear feedback shift registers (LFSR's) are employed to generate input vectors. In this paper, we have developed a test (Markov) model which faithfully reflects the pseudorandom behavior of test patterns, and all detectable single stuck-at faults (instead of the worst single stuck-fault only) are considered. The required test length is then determined by solving differential equations to achieve the specified test confidence. Based on the test model, analysis is first dedicated to the two-fault case, results are then extended to the k-fault analysis where k/spl ges/3. The test length thus determined is smaller than that derived based on the random pattern assumption, and test costs can be greatly reduced.


Heart Development
Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, heart failure, and heart valve problems, are a major cause of death worldwide. Defining mechanisms of normal heart development may reveal ways to manipulate cells and guide treatment. Volz et al. now identify pericytes as the progenitors to the smooth muscle of coronary arteries, the vessels supplying blood to ventricular heart muscle. Coronary artery smooth muscle cells (caSMCs) are found deep in the myocardium; however, they originate from the mesothelial covering of the heart, or epicardium. Clonal analysis and lineage tracing studies reveal that in embryos, Notch-responsive pericytes lining the coronary vascular plexus and located near arteries develop into caSMCs. Such progenitor cells are also present in the adult heart, suggesting possible relevance to heart regeneration therapies.

eLife 10.7554/eLife.10036 (2015).


Developing a Diagnosis, Prognosis and Health Monitoring (DPHM) framework for a small satellite is a challenging task due to the limited availability of onboard health monitoring sensors and computational budget. This thesis deals with the problem of developing DPHM framework for a satellite attitude actuator system that uses a single gimballed Control Moment Gyro (CMG) in pyramid configuration as an actuator. This includes the development of computationally light data-driven model, fault detection, isolation and prognosis algorithms that works only using the
attitude rate measurements from the satellite.
A novel scheme is proposed for developing a data-driven model which fuses the symmetric property of the data and the system orientation property of actuators that reduces the need for historical data by 93.75%. The data is trained using Chebyshev Neural Network. A threshold based fault detection algorithm is used to detect the faults of spin motor and gimbal motor used in a CMG. A novel optimization based fault isolation formulation is developed and simulated for given uniformly distributed system parameters. The algorithm has a success rate of 93.5% in isolating faults of 8 motors (4 gimbal and 4 spin) that can fail in 254 different ways. For Fault Prognosis, an error based scheme is developed as a measure of degradation. General path model with Bayesian updating is used for predicting the remaining useful life of the spin motor. It performs with 96.25% accuracy when 30% of data is available. Overall, the proposed algorithms can be regarded as a promising DPHM tool for similar non-linear systems.


This paper explores the current opportunity for policy reform of the Emergency Assistance (EA) system in Massachusetts. Recent initiatives by the state are described that have provided a context for systems change. Some of the challenges posed by the current program are discussed, particularly the lack of cost containment, and the resulting fact that significant public resources are spent supporting long-term stays in shelters and motels, which are not good for families or children. After an exploration of funding and resource issues, the paper concludes by establishing the foundation for changing the current system into one that would be outcome oriented, driven by the objective of housing stabilization and serve families in a more timely, effective and efficient manner.


This paper presents an integrated approach, targeting the comprehensive assessment of combined helicopter–engine designs, within designated operations. The developed methodology comprises a series of individual modeling theories, each applicable to a different aspect of helicopter flight dynamics and performance. These relate to rotor blade modal analysis, three-dimensional flight path definition, flight dynamics trim solution, aeroelasticity and engine performance. The individual mathematical models are elaborately integrated within a numerical procedure, solving for the total mission fuel consumption. The overall simulation framework is applied to the performance analysis of the Aerospatiale SA330 helicopter within two generic, twin-engine medium helicopter missions. An extensive comparison with flight test data on main rotor trim controls, power requirements and unsteady blade structural loads is presented. It is shown that, for the typical range of operating conditions encountered by modern twin-engine medium civil helicopters, the effect of operational altitude on fuel consumption is predominantly influenced by the corresponding effects induced on the engine, rather than on airframe–rotor performance. The implications associated with the implicit coupling between aircraft and engine performance, are discussed in the context of mission analysis. The potential to comprehensively evaluate integrated helicopter–engine systems within complete three-dimensional operations, using modeling fidelity designated for main rotor design applications, is demonstrated. The proposed method essentially constitutes an enabler in terms of focusing the rotorcraft design process on designated operation types, rather than on specific sets of flight conditions.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


Virus infections transiently suppress pulmonary antibacterial defenses by causing dysfunctions in the alveolar macrophage phagocytic system. This impairment of pulmonary bactericidal activity is not associated in time with virus proliferation, but rather with the period of time of rapidly declining virus titers and the expression of the antiviral immune response in the lungs. This temporal relationship suggests that the impairment of pulmonary bactericidal activity might be secondary to the antiviral immune response rather than a direct effect of virus replication. Immune depletion of mice during the course of influenza virus pneumonia ameliorated the virus-induced bactericidal defect and prevented bacterial multiplication in the lungs. In contrast, immune reconstitution reestablished the alveolar macrophage phagocytic defect. These data indicate that virus-induced suppression of pulmonary antibacterial defenses may be, in part, immunologically mediated.


The thesis traces the development of the rural library service in Ireland between 1902 and 1935, with particular reference to the part played by Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, which he established in 1913, in that development.
The first chapters explore the nineteenth century background. The variety of library facilities that existed in Britain and Ireland - ranging from Mechanics' Institutes to parish libraries, are described. In Ireland the belief that books could rehabilitate the countryside and revive the National spirit gained rural libraries the support of agricultural co-operators and cultural nationalists. The Public Library Act of 1902 enabled Rural District Councils to raise a library rate. Between 1902 and 1914 a number of organisations promoted rural libraries, while others expressed scepticism. These opposing groups are described, and the difficulties of providing a rural library service is shown by a study of one such service in Rathkeale rural district, County Limerick.
In 1915 the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust appointed Lennox Robinson as organiser of libraries in County Limerick. His work described, and the extension of his responsibilities to become the Trust's Irish representative is traced. In 1917 the trustees established an Irish advisory committee, and from 1921
financed experimental county library schemes. The first two
schemes, in Counties Donegal and Antrim, are described in
detail.
Acts of parliament passed in 1924 and 1925 made County Councils
the library authorities in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free
State. This encouraged the Carnegie trustees to change their
library policy, a decision precipitated by a public controversy
caused by a short story written by Robinson. This incident is
described, together with its consequences.
The final chapter follows the fortunes of the county library
service from 1925 to 1935 and describes how libraries were
affected by the political and moral climate of the time. The
thesis concludes with the Carnegie trustees' decision to cease
funding county library services from 1935.


This study examined the Impact of Online Advertising on Customers Satisfaction of E-tailing Firms in Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted. The source of data used in this study was mainly primary data from the issuance of questionnaire and secondary data from the review of relevant literature bothering on both variables which formed the basis for the argument. Out of a total of three hundred and eighty four (384) copies of questionnaire distributed, two hundred and eighty five (285) copies was used for analysis and analyzed using Spearman's Rank Order Correlation Coefficient with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of the study reveal amongst others that there is a positive and strong relationship between online advertising and customers' satisfaction; and online advertising significantly affects customer satisfaction. The study concludes that online advertising influenced satisfaction of the customers to a strong extent. However, online advertising is a key determinant of customer satisfaction as it is considered as a point of interaction between customers and the company from which they buy their products. A heuristic model was proposed to show our contribution to knowledge that the relationship between e-mail marketing and measures of customer satisfaction is very strong and is moderate on all other tested hypotheses. And the study recommends that advertising managers of e-tailing firms must develop and formulate e-mail marketing programs that will satisfy the needs of consumers and advert should be placed on stations and places where consumers can easily identify with them and make a purchase. Suggestions for further studies were outlined.


In health care today, scientific and technological frontiers are expanding at unprecedented rates, even as economic and financial pressures shrink profit margins, intensify competition, and constrain the funds available for investment. Therefore, the world today has more economic, and social opportunities for people than 10 or 100 years since globalization has created a new ground somewhat characterized by rapid economic transformation, deregulation of national markets by new trade regimes, amazing transport, electronic communication possibilities and high turnover of foreign investment and capital flow as well as skilled labor. These trends can easily mask great inequalities in developing countries such as importation and spreading of infectious and non-communicable diseases; miniaturization of movement of medical technology; health sector trades management driven by economics without consideration to the social and health aspects and its effects, increasing health inequalities and their economic and social burden creation; multinational companies' cheap labor employment promotion in widening income differentials; and others. As a matter of fact, all these factors are major determinants of ill health. Health authorities of developing countries have to strengthen their regulatory framework in order to ensure that national health systems derive maximum benefit in terms of equity, quality and efficiency, while reducing potential social cost to a minimum generated risky side of globalization.


Plasticity is an important property of the respiratory control system. One of the best-studied models of respiratory plasticity is pLTF (phrenic long-term facilitation). pLTF is a progressive increase in phrenic motor output lasting several hours following acute exposure to intermittent hypoxia. Similar to many other forms of neuroplasticity, pLTF is pattern-sensitive; it is induced by intermittent, but not sustained hypoxia of similar cumulative duration. Our understanding of the cellular/synaptic mechanisms underlying pLTF has increased considerably in recent years. Here, we review accumulating evidence suggesting that the pattern-sensitivity of pLTF arises substantially from differential reactive oxygen species formation and subsequent protein phosphatase inhibition during intermittent compared with sustained hypoxia in or near phrenic motor neurons. A detailed understanding of the cellular/synaptic mechanisms of pLTF may provide the rationale for new pharmacological approaches in the treatment of severe ventilatory control disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnoea and respiratory insufficiency either following spinal cord injury or during neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.


Ubiquitous computing strives to reach the calm computing state where sensors and actuators disappear from the foreground of our surroundings into the fabric of everyday objects. Despite the great progress in embedded technology, artificial interfaces, such as remote controls and touch screens, remain the dominant media for interacting with smart everyday objects. Motivated by recent advancements in smart textile technologies, we investigate the usability and acceptance of fabric-based controllers in the smart home environment. In this article we describe the development and evaluation of three textile interfaces for controlling a motorized recliner armchair in a living room setting. The core of this contribution is the empirical study with twenty participants that contrasted the user experience of three textile-based interaction techniques to a standard remote control. Despite the slightly lower reliability of the textile interfaces, their overall acceptance was higher. The study shows that the hedonic quality and attractiveness of textile interfaces have higher impact on user acceptance compared to pragmatic qualities, such as efficiency, fluidity of interaction, and reliability. Attractiveness profits from the direct and nearly invisible integration of the interaction device into textile objects such as furniture.


was detected in 35 (47.9%) patients with 4 (5.5%) hav-ing false-negative results. Overall, the sensitivity of ultrasonography in the detection of hemoperitoneum was 88%; in group R, 87%; group S, 89%; and in group EM, 90%. Specificity was in all cases 100%. Conclusions: Emergent ultrasound examination in detection of hemoperitoneum is equally valid in the hands of various specialists if they are appropriately trained and have the same level of experience. Objectives: Review of medical charts from patients who underwent abdominal re-intervention in the emergency surgery department to identify underlying mechanism of trauma, initial treatment, complications, clinical and imagining data, morbidity, and normality. Patients and Methods: From November 1991 through November 1996, 1,246 abdominal surgical procedures were performed at the emergency surgery department in the Miguel Couto County Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Thirty charts representing patients who required 77 abdominal operations were selected for review. Results: We divided abdominal re-operations into planned and unplanned interventions. Seven patients had their operations planned for definitive treatment and removal of hemostatic liver packing. Seven patients had developed intra-abdominal abscesses. Five patients suffered evisceration, and four had five intra-abdominal injuries missed at initial exploration, seven patients had an anastomotic failure. One patient had a negative ex-ploration hospitalization period with a high median stay of 36 days and low mortality rate. Conclusion: Frequent clinical examination was decisive in 60% of the patients to indicate surgical intervention for abdominal distention and Multiple Organ Failure were the most often used determinants. Those patients operated early had a better outcome, although some-times it was difficult to determine the best timing. Objectives: Review of medical charts in order to analyze the results treatment to patients with tho-raco-abdominal trauma, with emphasis on the occur-rence of diaphagmatic hernias. Penetrating comprised 61.3% 10 were diagnosed in acute period, three in the chronic period, and one during treatment for a complication. One patient in this group was treated through videola-paroscopy. The mortality rate in this sample was 6.8%. Conclusions: Thoraco-abdominal trauma offers favor-able outcome when diagnosed early, even though very often present as serious injuries. Diaphragmatic wounds must be carefully sought, and the correct treatment insti-tuted during the initial exploration.


Supreme Court justices often vote along ideological lines. Is this due to a genuinely different interpretation of the law, or does it reflect justices' desire to resolve politically charged legal questions in accordance with their personal views? To learn more about the nature of decision-making in the Court, we differentiate between votes that were pivotal and those that were not. When a justice's choice decides the outcome of a case, her ideology plays an even greater role in determining her vote - both relative to her choices on other cases and relative to other justices voting on the same case. We develop and empirically assess a model of voting in which judges trade off expressive and instrumental concerns. The evidence we present suggests that justices vote strategically, at least in part, to affect precedent.


Blooms of the Microcystis aeruginosa in water have been a long-standing problem for water quality and a human-health issue. Public concern for the inhibition of Microcystis aeruginosa has become increasingly urgent. AgBiO3 is an algaecide having good inhibitory effects on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa with hydroxyl radicals generated by photocatalyst. The inhibition of Microcystis aeruginosa exposed to AgBiO3 was optimised using statistically-based experimental designs. The four variables, namely, ZnSO4, CaCl2, CuSO4 and NaNO3, were screened as significant effects and were further optimised to determine the optimum levels and their interactions. The optimal concentrations of variables for maximum inhibition were 0.24 mg/L ZnSO4, 125.94 mg/L CaCl2, 0.28 mg/L CuSO4 and 600 mg/L NaNO3. The maximum inhibition rate predicted by the model was 61.86%, in near-perfect agreement with the experimental value (60.07%), and significantly better than unoptimised medium (42.79%).


Amid the onslaught of foreign cultures, especially ready meals "fast food" causing further marginalization of the local culture. Building a community attitude to retaining local knowledge possessed, especially traditional food knows matching requires a very strong foundation on which the social capital. With the key issues above, this study aims to answer the main problem, that is explained about the role of social capital in the business Tahu Serasi in Kenteng, district Bandungan. This research used a qualitative approach and descriptive research method . The unit of observation is a businessman tahu serasi, marketeer tahu serasi, KUB, buyers and customers. The unit of analysis is the role of social capital in the business tahu serasi in the district Bandungan. Results of research on business know matching is the dimension of cooperation and trust. In the context of the social capital that the real economic transactions do not always think about the profitability and profit, but also to build a cooperative relationship. In the capital transformation, business activity know " tahu serasi " transformation of social capital into economic capital. Social capital is a strong foundation for business continuity tahu  serasi  to date. Keywords : Tahu Serasi, social capital, business continuity.


People often questioned about the excess millions undistributed zakat funds to recipients. The excess zakat grow tremendously from year to year. Arises a few question of the effectiveness of zakat distribution at the present time. It is difficult for the zakat central to manage the
number of applications each year. This is because the major problem faced by the agency is the lack of manpower in the collection and distribution of zakat to identify the relevant IPT across the country. Accordingly, the involvement of IPT as agents of distribution and
collection of zakat seen among the best alternative to solve this problem. zakat center can put the responsibility of collecting and distributing zakat among staff and university students to IPT zakat central. Indirectly it help zakat central to identify the recipients throughout the region in their respective states with a more efficient and comprehensive, in addition to optimizing the function of central zakat limited staff. The guidelines has been set by the
central charity, for every student who applies charity they have through a strict screening process before being approved to receive zakat. It is not intended to make it difficult for students, but to know the background of the applicant including family circumstances and avoid the occurrence of fraud. Thus, this paper will discuss the operation of zakat collection among employees UiTM Puncak Alam campus and how screening is done by the
management of zakat in determining which students are eligible to receive aid. Moreover, what the items and packages are available for students who are eligible to receive zakat aid in UiTM Puncak Alam campus. And what are the challenges faced by central zakat during carries out tasks as Amil at UiTM. Interviews were been done to central the head unit to answer the question related to UiTM zakat issues and solve the problems faced by the Zakat Central. Hence, the aims of this paper are to discuss in detail about the problem statement to answer some of these issues.


With new and upcoming observing facilities (JWST and the ELTs), the exoplanet community is poised to precisely measure the chemical inventory of exoplanet atmospheres. This will allow, for the first time, to start investigating whether one of the greatest promises of atmospheric characterization studies holds up: inverting the atmospheric composition to infer the planet formation history encoded in it. In my talk, I will show how such measurements allow to run so-called formation retrievals, which constrain a planet’s formation history using its atmospheric abundances in a Bayesian retrieval framework. I will demonstrate how simple and popular models for the composition of the protoplanetary disk and planet formation could lead to interesting insights when applied in formation retrievals. At the same time, I will discuss how such assumptions are too strongly simplified for making the exoplanet atmosphere — formation connection in practice, and what the most pressing theoretical challenges are. Achieving this connection will be a formidable and interdisciplinary challenge, but the exciting exoplanet observations that lie ahead will allow the community to tackle it in earnest.


Under more general assumptions than those usually made in the sequential analysis literature, a variable-sample-size-sequential probability ratio test (VPRT) of two simple hypotheses is found that maximizes the expected net gain over all sequential decision procedures. In contrast, Wald and Wolfowitz [25] developed the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) to minimize expected sample size, but their assumptions on the parameters of the decision problem were restrictive. In this article we show that the expected net-gain-maximizing VPRT also minimizes the expected (with respect to both data and prior) total sampling cost and that, under slightly more general conditions than those imposed by Wald and Wolfowitz, it reduces to the one-observation-at-a-time sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). The ways in which the size and power of the VPRT depend upon the parameters of the decision problem are also examined.


ABSTRACT The lower San Andres Formation (Middle Permian) in Lincoln County, New Mexico consists of dolomite, limestone, and sandstone. This report examines the petrology and syndepositional environments of the carbonate portion of the lower San Andres. The Glorieta Sandstone Member of the San Andres Formation is about 75 m thick at the northern end of the study area. It forms tongues southward as the lower San Andres passes into dominantly carbonate rocks. These lower, middle, and upper Glorieta Sandstone tongues alternate with lower, middle, and upper carbonate tongues, which are described below. Skeletal grains are generally abundant to rare and are divided into a normal, open marine assemblage (articulated brachiopods, crinoids, bryozoans, echinoids, and cephalopods) and a restricted marine assemblage (ostracods, gastropods, Foraminifera, pelecypods, and spirorbid worm tubes). Non-skeletal grains are generally rare to common and consist of peloids, intraclasts, ooliths, and terrigenous grains. Organo-sedimentary structures and emergent desiccation features are rare. Biogenic structures consist of "Cruziana" type burrows and mottling. Cementation, porosity occlusion and enhancement, dolomitization, iron minerals, dedolomitization, silicification, and stylolitization are the main carbonate diagenetic features present. The patterns of dolomitization are almost entirely consistent with an emergent tidal flat dolomitization model. Dolomitization and silicification appear to have been early diagenetic processes. No preserved evaporite minerals were noted. However, anhydrite nodule molds, evaporite crystal molds, and length-slow chalcedony suggest the former presence of evaporites in the carbonate tongues. Unambiguous evidence of an emergent sabkha or tidal flat origin for these former evaporites was observed only in some rock units. The carbonate tongues consist of the following major syndepositional facies: (1) non-evaporitic tidal flat and shallow lagoonal facies (consisting of supratidal, intertidal, and restricted marine facies), (2) evaporitic emergent tidal flat facies, (3) subaqueous? evaporitic facies, (4) evaporitic restricted marine facies overlain by non-evaporitic supratidal deposits, (5) evaporitic normal, open marine facies, (6) non-evaporitic normal, open marine facies, and (7) undaform-edge carbonate sand facies. These facies are defined on the basis of petrography, paleontology, and sedimentary structures. Subtidal syndepositional facies make up about 95% of the carbonate tongues, whereas supratidal and intertidal facies only about 5%. The carbonate syndepositional facies permit detailed correlat on throughout the study area. Nearly all of the carbonate rock units were deposited in muddy low-energy environments behind the oolitic sand bodies of a high-energy undaform-edge environment.


A Volterra kernel identification method based on state transition algorithm with orthogonal transformation (called OTSTA) was proposed to solve the hard problem in identifying Volterra kernels of nonlinear systems. Firstly, the population with chaotic sequences was initialized by using chaotic strategy. Then the orthogonal transformation was used to finish the mutation operator of the selected individual. OTSTA was used on the identification of Volterra series, and compared with particle swarm optimization (called PSO) and state transition algorithm (STA). The simulation results showed that OTSTA has better identification precision and convergence than PSO and STA under non-noise interference. And when there is noise, the identification precision, convergence and anti-interference of OTSTA are also superior to PSO and STA.


Immigration is an important human issue whose causes have been the subject of economic and econometric studies. Many of those studies, however, use microeconomic methods and studies. This senior thesis approaches immigration through macroeconomics. Rather than look for the characteristics of people who immigrate, this paper determines how the economies of Mexico and the U.S. effect one's decision to immigrate. This study collects data from 1976 2011 on the number of immigrants from Mexico to the U.S., the GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth, education expenditure, and unemployment of each country. Using regression analysis, a model tests the significance and expected effect of each factor on the number of people who immigrate each year. My hypothesis is that these factors do indeed have a significant effect on the number of immigrants arriving in the U.S. each year. If so, then these factors will prove to be important in the decision-making process of each immigrant. Therefore, instead of focusing on heightened security and monitoring of the border, policy directed towards these factors may prove to be more effective and cost efficient in the long run. Document Type Thesis Distinguished Thesis Yes Degree Name Bachelor of Arts (BA) Department or Program Economics First Advisor Carolyn Tuttle Second Advisor Kent Grote Third Advisor David George


Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) in enclosed spaces is a major source of potentially harmful airborne particles. To quantify exposure to PM2.5 because of SHS and to investigate the interaction between pollutants from SHS and vehicular emissions, number concentration of PM2.5 were measured inside a moving vehicle under different ventilation conditions. Air purification was found to have a significant effect on PM2.5 in the cabins of vehicles. Purification can achieve higher and more consistent results in terms of protecting drivers from SHS while commuting on the roads. Moreover, air purifiers are economically and technically easier to implement than other chemical technologies currently in use. Because the study with the air purifier was conducted in only one vehicle, more vehicles should be tested with and without air purifiers to achieve a statistically robust conclusion regarding their performance.


To the Editor.— The recent article bv Mungas (Archives1982;39:108-111) provided useful data about pathologic personality traits in psychiatric and neurologic conditions, but contained a serious misconception about what kind of specificity has been claimed for the Bear-Fedio behavioral syndrome. 1 The author compared temporal lobe epileptics with patients having psychiatric and nonepileptic neuropsychiatric illnesses and found that high scores on the Bear-Fedio inventory correlated with presence of psychiatric disorder in any of the groups, but not with presence of epilepsy. He concluded that the syndrome has no specific relation to epilepsy, but represents "nonspecific psychopathology." Bear and Fedio, however, make no claim that the traits in their inventory are found exclusively in epileptic patients, but only that symptom profiles that aptly describe psychiatric illnesses are poorly fitted to the interictal behavior patterns of epileptics. Surely, clinicians would not be surprised to find the Bear-Fedio traits (eg, aggression, obsessionalism, sadness, and dependency) occurring in


DFT(B3PW91) calculations of the activation of CH4 by models (Cl2LnZ) of Cp*2LnZ (Z = H, Me) have been carried out for the entire lanthanide series. Cl2LnZ appears to be a good model for Cp*2LnZ. It reproduces well the coordination around the lanthanide. The energetics of the transformation X2LnH + CH4
→ X2LnCH3
+ H2 are fairly close for X = Cl and Cp and the difference in behavior can be attributed to the stronger electron donating ability of Cp. Formation of the lanthanide hydride complex is calculated to be exothermic in agreement with experimental evidence. The energy profiles of the reactions Cl2LnH + CH4
→ Cl2LnCH3
+ H2; Cl2LnH* + CH4
→ Cl2LnH + H*CH3; Cl2LnCH*3
+ CH4
→
Cl2LnCH3
+ H–CH*3 have been calculated. The transition states for the first and third transformations are energetically accessible, in good agreement with the known experimental data. The second reaction has a transition state of very high energy indicating an unfeasible reaction. The geometry of the transition stuctures are suggestive of a proton transfer between two anionic species (Z and CH3−; Z = H− and CH3−) in the field of the lanthanide fragment.


PREMISE OF THE STUDY
Heterokont algae of the class Synurophyceae, characterized by distinctive siliceous scales that cover the surface of the cell, are ecologically important in inland waters, yet their evolutionary history remains enigmatic. We explore phylogenetic relationships within this group of algae relative to geologic time, with a focus on evolution of siliceous components.

METHODS
We combined an expansive five-gene and time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of synurophyte algae with an extensive array of fossil specimens from the middle Eocene to infer evolutionary trends within the group.

KEY RESULTS
The group originated in the Jurassic approximately 157 million years ago (Ma), with the keystone genera Mallomonas and Synura diverging during the Early Cretaceous at 130 Ma. Mallomonas further splits into two major subclades, signaling the evolution of the V-rib believed to aid in the spacing and organization of scales on the cell covering. Synura also diverges into two primary subclades, separating taxa with forward-projecting spines on the scale from those with a keel positioned on the scale proper. Approximately one third of the fossil species are extinct, whereas the remaining taxa are linked to modern congeners.

CONCLUSIONS
The taxonomy of synurophytes, which relies extensively on the morphology of the siliceous components, is largely congruent with molecular analyses. Scales of extinct synurophytes were significantly larger than those of modern taxa and may have played a role in their demise. In contrast, many fossil species linked to modern lineages were smaller in the middle Eocene, possibly reflecting growth in the greenhouse climatic state that characterized this geologic interval.


This paper explores what techniques can be incorporated into everyday functions of hotel management to create a sustainable environment. Sustainability has become an important objective for businesses to consider and implement in their day-to-day processes. The types of sustainable practices in environmental technologies that are currently being experimented with in the hotel industry that this paper evaluates include LED lights, key-card systems, water restrictors, and paperless systems. LED lights, as well as key-card systems assist in the reduction of energy in guest' rooms. Water restrictors have also been inserted into the faucets and water heads in guests' rooms to decrease the amount of water being used. Finally, iPads and other electronic devices are used as substitutes to reduce the amount of paper printed in many hotel functions. In addition, reward programs are used to incentivize guests to participate in ecofriendly efforts. While these programs may cost hotels additional funds up front, they will be able to see the benefits and reap the rewards by putting the initial cost in. By practicing sustainability, hotels will not only have an improved image, in turn attracting more customers but also are considering future generations and the limited resources that we have available to us on the Earth.


Chromospheric wave activity around flares and filaments has been a research focus for years, and could provide indirect measurements of local conditions that are not otherwise accessible. One interesting observed phenomenon is oscillations in filaments, activated by distant flares and the large-scale waves they produce. Characteristics of these oscillations, such as periods, amplitudes, and lifetimes, can provide unique information about the filament. We measure oscillation properties in flares and filaments from Hα chromospheric data using a new method that provides important spatial and frequency content of the dynamics. We apply the method to two flare events where filaments are observed to oscillate and determine their properties. We find strong oscillatory signal in flaring active regions in the chromosphere over a range of frequencies. Two filaments are found to oscillate without any detectable chromospheric wave acting as an activation mechanism. We find that filaments oscillate with periods of tens of minutes, but variations are significant at small spatial scales along the filamentary region. The results suggest that there is a frequency dependence of the oscillation amplitude, as well as a spatial dependence along single filaments that is more difficult to quantify. It also appears that the strength of the oscillations does not necessarily depend on the strength of the trigger, although there are other possible effects that make this conclusion preliminary. Applications of this technique to other events and different data sets will provide important new insights into the local energy densities and magnetic fields associated with dynamic chromospheric structures.


Damage to agricultural crops by black bears (Ursus americanus) is a widespread problem in coastal North Carolina. We examined extent and duration of damage to 1,802 ha of corn crops using aerial surveys conducted during summer 1993. Additionally, we obtained 1993 crop damage estimates and attitudes towards bears using a mail survey of farm operators on the Neuse-Pamlico peninsula in 1994. Greatest corn damage occurred in middle to late July during early stages of kernel ripeness. Aerial survey results showed that bears damaged approximately 0.6% of the corn crop compared to 1.2% estimated by farm operators. Most farm operators (77.8%) enjoyed seeing bears on their farms, but 45.4% worried about crop damage. Farm operators who had received crop damage were more likely to view bears as nuisances. Corn was the major crop damaged with estimated losses exceeding $27,000. Management efforts should focus on alleviating bear/farmer conflicts through education and population manipulation which could keep bear numbers at a socially acceptable level without negatively impacting populations.


1. An inhibitor of cytoplasmic guanine deaminase of rat liver was isolated from liver ;heavy mitochondrial' fraction after freezing and thawing and treatment with Triton X-100. 2. Submitochondrial fractionation revealed that the inhibitor was localized in the outer-membrane fraction. 3. The method of purification of inhibitor, involving precipitation with (NH(4))(2)SO(4) and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, its precipitability by trichloroacetic acid and the pattern of absorption in the u.v. indicated that the inhibitor was a protein. In confirmation, tryptic digestion of the isolated material resulted in destruction of the inhibitor activity. The inhibitor was stable to acid, but labile to heat. 4. The isolated inhibitor required phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) for activity. Phosphatidylcholine also partially protected the inhibitor against heat inactivation. 5. When detergent treatment was omitted, the inhibitor activity of frozen mitochondria was precipitated by (NH(4))(2)SO(4) in a fully active form without supplementation with phosphatidylcholine, indicating that Triton X-100 ruptured the linkage between inhibitor and lipid. 6. A reconstituted sample of inhibitor-phosphatidylcholine complex was precipitated in a fully active form by dialysis against 2-mercaptoethanol, but treatment of the precipitate with NaCl yielded an extract which was inactive unless supplemented with fresh phosphatidylcholine. 7. We interpret the results as evidence that the inhibitor was present in vivo as a lipoprotein and that once the complex was dissociated by the action of detergent and the protein precipitated, there was an absolute need for exogenous phosphatidylcholine for its activity. The manner in which inhibitor associated with the outer membrane of rat liver mitochondria might regulate the activity of the enzyme in the supernatant has been suggested.


The trans-horizon signal is assumed to be adequately described by a simple Waterman scatter model and to be ascribable to a partial reflection from a "rippled atmospheric layer." Here it is assumed that the boundary of this layer is space sinusoidal in a plane normal to the line determined by the transmitter and receiver points. The thickness of the layer is approximately uniform and the permittivity is assumed to vary in a Gaussian manner. Theoretical and experimental descriptions of the vertical-transverse permittivity spectrum are obtained and compared. A corresponding comparison is made between the theoretical and Waterman experimental received power vs azimuth angle patterns. In both cases, there is qualitative agreement provided the ratio of ripple amplitude to ripple wavelength is large. In addition, an estimate of the trans-horizon signal power spectrum is compared with experimental observations. Experimentally, the power spectrum is found to broaden with increasing scattering angle and beamwidth, while the present scatter model yields a power spectrum whose width is an inverse function of scattering angle and beamwidth.


A facile and rapid method for synthesizing single crystal gold spherical or platelet (nonspherical) particles is reported. The reaction takes place at the interface of two immiscible liquids where the reducing agent decamethylferrocene (DmFc) was initially added to hexane and gold chloride (AuCl4-) to an aqueous phase. The reaction is spontaneous at room temperature, leading to the creation of Au nanoparticles (AuNP). A flow focusing microfluidic chip was used to create emulsion droplets, allowing the same reaction to take place within a series of microreactors. The technique allows the number of droplets, their diameter, and even the concentration of reactants in both phases to be controlled. The size and shape of the AuNP are dependent upon the concentration of the reactants and the size of the droplets. By tuning the reaction parameters, the synthesized nanoparticles vary from nanometer to micrometer sized spheres or platelets. The surfactant used to stabilize the emulsion was also shown to influence the particle shape. Finally, the addition of other nanoparticles within the droplet allows for core@shell particles to be readily formed, and we believe this could be a versatile platform for the large scale production of core@shell particles.


Assuming that the network delays are normally distributed and the network nodes are subject to clock phase offset errors, the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) and the Kalman filter (KF) have been recently proposed with the goal of maximizing the clock synchronization accuracy in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, because the network delays may assume any distribution and the performance of MLE and KF is quite sensitive to the distribution of network delays, designing clock synchronization algorithms that are robust to arbitrary network delay distributions appears as an important problem. Adopting a Bayesian framework, this paper proposes a novel clock synchronization algorithm, called the Iterative Gaussian mixture Kalman particle filter (IGMKPF), which combines the Gaussian mixture Kalman particle filter (GMKPF) with an iterative noise density estimation procedure to achieve robust performance in the presence of unknown network delay distributions. The Kullback-Leibler divergence is used as a measure to assess the departure of estimated observation noise density from its true expression. The posterior Cramér-Rao bound (PCRB) and the mean-square error (MSE) of IGMKPF are evaluated via computer simulations. It is shown that IGMKPF exhibits improved performance and robustness relative to MLE. The prior information plays an important role in IGMKPF. A MLE-based method for obtaining reliable prior information for clock phase offsets is presented and shown to ensure the convergence of IGMKPF.


Health care delivery depends on effective provider–patient communication. An important issue is whether and how this communication differs for second language (SL) patients. While understanding health information can be impaired by limited English proficiency, we examined a potential benefit of SL use. SL users may be "affectively distanced", with weaker emotional reactions to content presented in a foreign versus native language (NL). This distancing may have important implications for understanding, and for making decisions and judgements about health information to the extent these processes involve affective responses. For example, patients may respond to diagnostic test results indicating risk of illness with less intense negative affect if the information is presented in their SL. Language differences in affective response may in turn attenuate risk perception for SL versus NL users, with perceived risk being lower while the objective risk associated with test results increases, as predicted by the 'risk as feelings' view of risk perception, where perceived risk is based on affective response to the information. On the other hand, risk perception may be more calibrated with objective risk for SL users to the extent that affective distancing encourages SL users to rely on deliberative rather than affective-based, intuitive processes related to risk perception. SL use may also influence attitudes toward and intentions to perform behaviors that address risk because these processes are driven in part by risk perception and memory for the risk information. These processes may also depend on numeracy, defined as the ability to make sense of and rationalize numbers, because it influences risk perception. We tested these predictions in the context of a simulated Electronic Health Record (EHR) patient portal, in which participants were presented diagnostic test results in English from fictional patients. Native English speakers (n = 25), and native Mandarin speakers with higher numeracy (n = 25) and lower numeracy (n = 28) participated in the study. Consistent with the 'affective distancing' effect, SL participants with either higher or lower numeracy demonstrated a flatter slope for positive and negative affective responses to the test results compared to NL participants. Moreover, SL participants reported greater perceived risk than NL participants did as objective risk rose. A similar pattern occurred for attitudes toward and intentions to perform behaviors that addressed this risk, especially for treatment health behaviors. On the other hand, language did not influence memory for risk-related information. Our findings extend the affective distancing effect associated with SL use to the health domain and show that this effect influences risk perception and behavioral intentions beyond memory recall and numeracy skills.


Rabbit spleen and appendix cells were used to test the mitogenic activity of a commercial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preparation from Salmonella typhimurium (Difco), a preparation extracted from it, and cell wall preparations from smooth (45/0) and rough (45/20) strains of Brucella abortus. On the basis of [3H]thymidine incorporation ratios (E/C), that is, the incorporation rate among cells treated with the mitogen relative to that of untreated cells, the extracted LPS and both Brucella cell wall preparations, but not the commercial LPS were potent mitogens for rabbit spleen cells. By the same criterion, only the Brucella cell wall preparation produced a significant, but minimally so, response among appendix cells. The weak responsiveness of appendix cells may be more apparent than real, however, and may not imply a difference in intrinsic susceptibility to mitogens by these two populations, because unstimulated appendix cells incorporated thymidine at 10 times the rate of unstimulated spleen cells. Appendix cells, then, may not be susceptible to further stimulation, even by active mitogens. Therefore, the significance of E/C ratios may be equivocal when materials are assayed for mitogenic activity on lymphoid populations whose basal activity is relatively high.


Background Chronic exposure to elevated levels of free fatty acids contributes to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. Although it is well known that metformin induces cellular energy depletion and a concomitant activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through inhibition of the respiratory chain, previous studies have shown inconsistent results with regard to the action of metformin on pancreatic β-cells. We therefore examined the effects of metformin on pancreatic β-cells under lipotoxic stress. Methods NIT-1 cells and mouse islets were exposed to palmitate and treated with 0.05 and 0.5 mM metformin. Cell viability, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, cellular adenosine triphosphate, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and Rho kinase (ROCK) activities were measured. The phosphorylation of AMPK was evaluated by Western blot analysis and mRNA levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers and NADPH oxidase (NOX) were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results We found that metformin has protective effects on palmitate-induced β-cell dysfunction. Metformin at a concentration of 0.05 mM inhibits NOX and suppresses the palmitate-induced elevation of ER stress markers and ROS levels in a AMPK-independent manner, whereas 0.5 mM metformin inhibits ROCK activity and activates AMPK. Conclusion This study suggests that the action of metformin on β-cell lipotoxicity was implemented by different molecular pathways depending on its concentration. Metformin at a usual therapeutic dose is supposed to alleviate lipotoxic β-cell dysfunction through inhibition of oxidative stress and ER stress.


Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common chronic liver diseases. Given the lack of definitive documentation for the effect of thyroid gland disorders on fatty liver, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between serum thyroid hormones levels and fatty liver in patients referring to Imam Hossain Hospital in Shahroud, in 2016. Methods: This case-control study was performed on 150 patients. The case group consisted of fatty liver patients whose disease was diagnosed based on laboratory and ultrasound findings, and a control group of patients with any other diseases without fatty liver. After liver ultrasonography, blood samples were taken from all patients and thyroid hormones levels were measured. Results: Of the 150 patients examined, the mean BMI of the patients was 24.79±6.9 kg / m2, which was significantly higher in the case group (P<0.012). The mean FBS level, was 131.5±83.5 mg / dl, which was significantly higher (P<0.001) in the case group. Similarly, the mean of TG was 245.5±128.5 mg / dl, which was significantly higher in the case group (P<0.047). On the other hand, the mean LDL of patients was 145.5±30.5 mg / dl, which was significantly higher (P<0.012) in patients with fatty liver. Further, the mean TSH of patients was significantly higher in the case group (P<0.014). Finally, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding other variables. Conclusions: The results of this study suggested that thyroid gland disorders, especially hypothyroidism, were significantly higher in patients with fatty liver than in other patients. Nevertheless, they could not be influential in the incidence, exacerbation and persistence of fatty liver as a favorable factor.


Inflammatory processes are important in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and in response to amyloid-β immunotherapy. We investigated the expression of multiple inflammatory markers in the brains of 28 non-immunized patients with Alzheimer's disease and 11 patients with Alzheimer's disease immunized against amyloid-β42 (AN1792): microglial ionized calcium-binding adaptor Iba-1, lysosome marker CD68, macrophage scavenger receptor A, Fcγ receptors I (CD64) and II (CD32); and also immunoglobulin IgG, complement C1q and the T lymphocyte marker CD3 using immunohistochemistry. The data were analysed with regard to amyloid-β and phospho-tau pathology, severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and cortical microhaemorrhages. In non-immunized Alzheimer's disease cases, amyloid-β42 correlated inversely with CD32 and Iba-1, whereas phospho-tau correlated directly with all microglial markers, IgG, C1q and the number of T cells. In immunized Alzheimer's disease cases, amyloid-β42 load correlated directly with macrophage scavenger receptor A-positive clusters and inversely with C1q. The severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and microhaemorrhages did not relate to any of the analysed markers. Overall, the levels of CD68, macrophage scavenger receptor A, CD64, CD32 and the number of macrophage scavenger receptor A-positive plaque-related clusters were significantly lower in immunized than non-immunized cases, although there was no significant difference in Iba-1 load, number of Iba-1-positive cells, IgG load, C1q load or number of T cells. Our findings indicate that different microglial populations co-exist in the Alzheimer's disease brain, and that the local inflammatory status within the grey matter is importantly linked with tau pathology. After amyloid-β immunization, the microglial functional state is altered in association with reduced amyloid-β and tau pathology. The results suggest that, in the long term, amyloid-β immunotherapy results in downregulation of microglial activation and potentially reduces the inflammation-mediated component of the neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease.


Anxiety disorders are prevalent in human and veterinary medicine yet the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Because serotonin (5-HT) neurons of the dorsal raphe (DR) are thought to play a prominent role, my goal was to understand the changes in DR 5-HT neurons that underlie anxiety and other stressrelated disorders. Two DR subdivisions were studied in a series of experiments: the ventromedial DR (vmDR), a well characterized subfield with a high density of 5-HT neurons, and the lateral wing DR (lwDR), a largely uncharacterized subfield with a more sparse distribution of 5-HT neurons. Many stress paradigms activate 5-HT neurons of the lwDR more so than 5-HT neurons of the vmDR, suggesting a unique role for lwDR 5-HT cells in stress circuits. However, it is not known if lwDR 5-HT neurons possess physiological characteristics that contribute to their increased propensity to be activated by a stressor. I found that lwDR 5-HT neurons demonstrated increased intrinsic excitability, increased glutamatergic input, and similar GABAergic input when compared to vmDR 5-HT neurons. Using the chronic social defeat model of anxiety, the distinctions between lwDR and vmDR neurons were explored further. Social defeat induced anxious behavior and stress-associated pathological changes in the peripheral organs of intruder mice. For the first time, investigation into the neural mechanisms of social defeat has focused on 5-HT neuron physiology, revealing subregion-specific effects within the DR. Increased excitability was seen in the vmDR neurons of the most anxious mice. This was accompanied by a decrease in GABAergic input to vmDR 5-HT neurons potentially mediated by both presynaptic and postsynaptic changes. The lwDR 5-HT neurons demonstrated distinct stress-induced changes limited to the slower kinetics of postsynaptic GABAAR. The differential effect of social stress on inhibitory input to vmDR or lwDR neurons suggest that the 5-HT output in brain regions targeted by each subfield is differentially affected in anxiety disorders. Collectively these findings help fill the gap in our understanding of local DR circuitry, the heterogeneity of 5-HT neurons, and the distinct regulation of vmDR and lwDR neurons in the circuits that mediate stress and contribute to the pathophysiology of anxiety. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Neuroscience First Advisor Sheryl G. Beck


Search algorithms based on combinatorial multi-armed bandits (CMABs) are promising for dealing with state-space sequential decision problems. However, current CMAB-based algorithms do not scale to problem domains with very large actions spaces, such as real-time strategy games played in large maps. In this paper we introduce CMAB-based search algorithms that use action abstraction schemes to reduce the action space considered during search. One of the approaches we introduce use regular action abstractions (A1N), while the other two use asymmetric action abstractions (A2N and A3N). Empirical results on MicroRTS show that A1N, A2N, and A3N are able to outperform an existing CMAB-based algorithm in matches played in large maps, and A3N is able to outperform all state-of-the-art search algorithms tested.


In this-Article Professor Vorspan examines the role of the English courts during World War I, particularly the judicial response to executive infringements on individual liberty. Focusing on detention, deportation, conscription, and confiscation of property, the Author revises the conventional depiction of the English judiciary during World War I as passive and peripheral. She argues that in four ways the judges were activist and energetic, both in advancing the government's war effort and in promoting their own policies and powers. First, they were judicial warriors, developing innovative legal strategies to legitimize detention and other governmental restrictions on personal freedom. Second, they relentlessly preserved their own institutional power and authority, consistently affirming the right to review government conduct * Associate Professor, Fordham University School of Law. A.B. 1967, U.C. Berkeley; M.A. 1968, Ph.D. 1975, Columbia University (English History); J.D. 1979, Harvard Law School. I would like to thank Edward A. Purcell Jr., Martin Flaherty, Bruce Green, Jacob Falk, Joseph Fleissner, and Nycole Thompson for their assistance. Fordham Law School supported this project with a summer research grant. 262 VANDERBIL TJOURNAL OF TRANSNA TIONAL LAW through the writ of habeas corpus. Third, in stark contrast to their treatment of individual liberty, they vigorously upheld property rights against executive power. Finally, they suffused their decisions with a particular wartime moral ideology based on both national origin and traditional concepts of individual "character." Their success in achieving these priorities while failing to protect individual liberty offers the troubling contemporary lesson that maintaining jurisdiction to review governmental conduct will not safeguard rights during "wartime" without a staunch judicial commitment to the substantive value of personal freedom.


A biliary fistula from the gallbladder can develop as a result of the erosion of stones into the surrounding viscera. An 82-year-old woman with multiple comorbid diseases presented with a persisting discharge from what was thought to be an abscess in the right hypochondrium, which had previously been drained. Sinogram confirmed fistulous communication with the gallbladder and gastric antrum. The fistulous tract was excised together with the gallbladder, and the gastric defect was repaired. The patient made an uneventful recovery.


Purpose
As the population ages, older adults are more often living with functional limitations from chronic illnesses, such as stroke, and require assistance. Because stroke occurs suddenly, many stroke family caregivers in the United States are unprepared to assume caregiving responsibilities post-discharge. Research is limited on how family members become ready to assume the caregiving role. In this study, we developed a theoretical model for improving stroke caregiver readiness and identifying gaps in caregiver preparation.

Design and Methods
We interviewed 40 stroke family caregivers caring for 33 stroke survivors during inpatient rehabilitation and within 6 months post-discharge for this grounded theory study. Data were analyzed using dimensional analysis and constant comparative techniques.

Results
Caregivers identified critical areas where they felt unprepared to assume the caregiving role after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Steps to improve preparation include (a) conducting a risk assessment of the patient and caregiver; (b) identifying and prioritizing gaps between the patient's needs and caregiver's commitment and capacity; and (c) developing a plan for improving caregiver readiness.

Implications
The model presented provides a family-centered approach for identifying needs and facilitating caregiver preparation. Given recent focus on improving care coordination, care transitions, and patient-centered care to help improve patient safety and reduce readmissions in this population, this research provides a new approach to enhance these outcomes among stroke survivors with family caregivers.


The comparison between the capabilities of optical versus electronic signal processors is usually the first issue that is addressed when one considers using optics in a particular signal processing application. In general, it is necessary that optics offers a clear advantage over electronics in order to be able to justify opting for an optical approach. The comparison between optics and electronics is based on a number of related criteria whose relative importance depends on the application. These include processing power (e.g. the number of elementary operations performed per unit time), algorithmic flexibility, accuracy, power consumption, weight, cost. The primary advantage of analog optical systems is the extremely high processing power that can be achieved (in excessof 104 analog multiplication per second is possible with acoustooptic technology) with relatively small power and size requirements. The major disadvantages of conventional analog optical processors are lack of algorithmic flexibility (limited to linear transformations) and low accuracy. These two limitations along with immature device technologies have restricted the utilization of optical signal processors to only a small number of areas, such as synthetic aperture radar and acoustooptic spectrum analyzers. Thus there is strong motivation to find ways to improve the accuracy and extend the range of signal processing operations that can be optically performed in order to extend the applicability of optical techniques. In this paper we examine the method of digital multiplication by analog convolution (DMAC) [l] [4] which has received attention in recent years as a technique for building accurate optical processors. We will show that DMAC is fundamentally limited because it can provide accuracy only at the expense of using post-detection electronics that are more sophisticated than the electonics required to build the entire system electronically in the first place.


NALCN is a member of the family of ion channels with four homologous, repeat domains that include voltage-gated calcium and sodium channels. NALCN is a highly conserved gene from simple, extant multicellular organisms without nervous systems such as sponges and placozoans and mostly remains a single gene compared to the calcium and sodium channels which diversified into twenty genes in humans. The single NALCN gene has alternatively-spliced exons at exons 15 or exon 31 that splices in novel selectivity filter residues that resemble calcium channels (EEEE) or sodium channels (EKEE or EEKE). NALCN channels with alternative calcium, (EEEE) and sodium, (EKEE or EEKE) -selective pores are conserved in simple bilaterally symmetrical animals like flatworms to non-chordate deuterostomes. The single NALCN gene is limited as a sodium channel with a lysine (K)-containing pore in vertebrates, but originally NALCN was a calcium-like channel, and evolved to operate as both a calcium channel and sodium channel for different roles in many invertebrates. Expression patterns of NALCN-EKEE in pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis suggest roles for NALCN in secretion, with an abundant expression in brain, and an up-regulation in secretory organs of sexually-mature adults such as albumen gland and prostate. NALCN-EEEE is equally abundant as NALCN-EKEE in snails, but is greater expressed in heart and other muscle tissue, and 50% less expressed in the brain than NALCN-EKEE. Transfected snail NALCN-EEEE and NALCN-EKEE channel isoforms express in HEK-293T cells. We were not able to distinguish potential NALCN currents from background, non-selective leak conductances in HEK293T cells. Native leak currents without expressing NALCN genes in HEK-293T cells are NMDG+ impermeant and blockable with 10 µM Gd3+ ions and are indistinguishable from the hallmark currents ascribed to mammalian NALCN currents expressed in vitro by Lu et al. in Cell. 2007 Apr 20;129(2):371-83.


This study looks at two regional New South Wales tourism organisations heavily dependant on volunteers in order to analyse whether managers understand what motivates their volunteers and whether, as a result, they have any management strategies in place to retain current volunteers and to attract new ones. The Volunteer Function Inventory (VFI) was used to measure both management and volunteer perceptions as they relate to motivation. It was found that creating opportunities to permit new learning experiences and/or the opportunity to use skills or knowledge that would otherwise go unpractised, the understanding function of the VFI, is what mostly motivated those interviewed to become volunteers. It is argued that the VFI offers managers of volunteers a valuable tool to recruit new people and to re-invigorate, and maintain, existing volunteers.


A method used to recognize the inner defects of 3-D braided composite materials is discussed. Firstly, the link between UT signals and the defects of 3-D braided composite material is analyzed. Then, the wavelet packet transform is used to process the ultrasonic scanning pulse signals of the defects. The characteristic quantities of signal are extracted into the BP neural network as samples. Through training the BP neural network, the recognize system of micro-cracks and pores is achieved. Finally, according to the results of experiment this classification system based on wavelet packet transform is proved to be feasible.


In this paper novel AB class neuron structures that set foundations for low power VLSI neural networks and other applications are proposed. The analog AB class circuits for activation function and programmable weight synaptic connections are presented and discussed. A qualitative comparison is made between standard and proposed circuits.


The materno-fetal transfer of nanoparticles is a critical issue in designing theranoustic nanoparticles for in vivo applications during pregnancy. Recent studies have reported that certain nanoparticles can cross the placental barrier in healthy pregnant animals depending on the size and surface modification of the nanoparticles and the developmental stages of the fetuses. However, materno-fetal transfer under pathological pregnant conditions has not been examined so far. Here, it is shown that intrauterine inflammation can enhance the materno-fetal transfer of nanoparticles in the late gestation stage of murine pregnancy in a size-dependent manner. Three different-sized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with diameters of 3 (Au3), 13 (Au13) and 32 (Au32) nm are applied. The accumulation of Au3 and Au13 nanoparticles in the fetuses is significantly increased in intrauterine inflammatory mice compared with healthy control mice: the concentration of Au3 is much higher than Au13 in fetal tissues of intrauterine inflammatory mice. In contrast, Au32 nanoparticles cannot cross the placental barrier either in healthy or in intrauterine inflammatory mice. The possible underlying mechanism of the increased materno-fetal transfer of small-sized nanoparticles on pathological conditions is inferred to be the structural and functional abnormalities of the placenta under intrauterine inflammation. The size of the nanoparticles is one of the critical factors which determines the extent of fetal exposure to nanoparticles in murine pregnancy under inflammatory conditions.


This note describes a simple out-of-band protocol to ease setup of the
RPKI provisioning and publication protocols between two parties. The
protocol is encoded in a small number of XML messages, which can be
passed back and forth by any mutually agreeable secure means. This
setup protocol is not part of the provisioning or publication
protocol, rather, it is intended to simplify configuration of these
protocols by setting up relationships and exchanging BPKI keying
material.


The components of the evoked impulse activity of neurons and neuronal populations were studied in different nuclei of the thalamus and strio-pallidar system of the human brain, in patients treated with indwelled electrodes. The impulse activity was recorded during recognition of polygonal shapes with and without semantic meaning, during memorizing of visual stimuli without meaning. Peri-stimulus-time histograms for the cases of presentations of familiar and unfamiliar patterns, for the cases of stimulus presentation in the initial and terminal parts of the memorizing were computed and compared with each other. In some neuronal populations, a group of late components was revealed, altering during learning and depending upon subject evaluation of the meaning of the stimulus.


AIM
To evaluate the efficacy of age on the surgical outcomes in hepatic or pancreatic resection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We performed 50 hepatic or pancreatic resections in our community hospital and divided them into 2 groups based on age: patients aged ≥85 years old and patients aged <85 years old. We calculated the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress (E-PASS) score and the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM) system and compared the surgical outcome between the two groups.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to E-PASS and POSSUM scores. Patients aged ≥85 years had a significantly higher frequency of anti-platelet agents. The incidence of postoperative complications and mortality in patients ≥85 years old were comparable to those in patients aged <85 years old.

CONCLUSION
Hepatic or pancreatic resection for elderly patients aged 85 years or older can be safely performed under a given careful patient selection.


The imposed communication network brings more vulnerabilities to the evolving smart grid. Therefore, defensive techniques such as intrusion detection will need to be deployed and used in this already complicated system. Deployment and runtime cost due to the defensive systems will affect the normal function of smart grid system without careful planning and design. This paper is an effort to address this issue. In particular, we apply the set packing algorithm to optimize (minimize) the placement of the trust nodes of the defensive system in the multiple layer architecture of the smart grid. After the trust nodes are placed, a Dijkstra's based optimal routing algorithm is used to find the least cost routing between the communications of the nodes. Simulation results demonstrate that our approach is promising in decreasing the overall cost while keeping the security of the smart grid system.


Background: Since 2010, Swiss pharmacists have been offering their patients a Polymedication Check (PMC), a new cognitive pharmacy service in the form of a medication review for patients taking $ 4 prescribed medicines for a period . 3 months. While a first publication of this project reported on the impact of the PMC on patients' adherence, the present paper focuses on humanistic outcomes. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 54 Swiss community pharmacies. After recruitment, the intervention group underwent a PMC in the pharmacy (T-0) and 28 weeks after T-0 (T-28), while the control group did not receive the PMC until 28 weeks after the study started (T-28). A clinical psychologist, blinded to the intervention, interviewed the patients 2 weeks (T-2) and 16 weeks (T-16) after T-0. Interviewer and patient both rated patient's knowledge of own medicines use. Furthermore, patients reported satisfaction with their pharmacy and appraisal of their medicines use. The availability of a written medication plan was assessed at T-16. Acceptance of the service was measured using a patient's self-report questionnaire at T-28. Results: General linear model analysis for knowledge about medicines revealed a significant effect on the factor "group" ( F = 5.86, p = 0.016), indicating that the intervention group had higher ratings for knowledge about their medication at T-2 and T-16 compared to controls. The majority (83%) of patients judged the counseling by the pharmacist as being helpful for their daily medication management. Availability of a written medication plan was comparable in both groups (52.5% vs 52.7%, p . 0.05). Conclusion: For the first time, the benefits of a complex pharmacist-led intervention were evaluated in Swiss primary care with a randomized controlled trial. The PMC increased patients' subjective knowledge of their medicines compared to no medication review. The effect remained sustainable over time. Recommendations resulting from the pharmacist-led service were highly appreciated by the patients.


Abstract Irregular breakfast consumption and food timing patterns in relation to weight status and inflammation were investigated in a cross-sectional manner among 644 participants in the Cancer Prevention Study-3 Diet Assessment Sub-study. Breakfast consumption, and the individual means and the intra-individual standard deviation (isd) of time at first intake of the day, duration of daily intake window and midpoint of daily intake window were collected via six 24-h recalls and examined in relation to BMI, waist circumference (WC) and inflammation (glycoprotein acetyl (GlycA)). Compared with consuming breakfast on all six recalls, linear regression models showed those who consumed breakfast on 4 or 5 of the days had a 1·29 (95 % CI 0·19, 2·38) and 1·64 (95 % CI 0·12, 3·16) kg/m2 higher BMI; no association was found for consuming breakfast ≤3 d. At 1 h later, the average time of first intake was associated with a 0·44 (95 % CI 0·04, 0·84) kg/m2 higher BMI. A 1-h increase in the isd of first intake was associated with a 1·12 (95 % CI 0·49, 1·75) kg/m2 higher BMI; isd in duration and midpoint of intake window were significant prior to additional adjustment for isd in the first intake. One-hour increases in isd for the first intake time (β: 0·15; 95 % CI 0·04, 0·26) and the midpoint of intake window (β: 0·16; 95 % CI 0·02, 0·31) were associated with higher GlycA. No associations were observed for WC independent of BMI. The results provide evidence that irregularity in breakfast consumption and daily intake timing patterns, particularly early in the day, may be related to weight status and inflammation.


Abstract. Vegetation plays a key role in maintaining soil quality, but long-term changes in soil quality due to plant species change and successive planting are rarely reported. Using the space-for-time substitution method, adjacent plantations of Pinus and first, second, third and fourth generations of Eucalyptus in Guangxi, China were used to study changes in soil quality caused by converting Pinus to Eucalyptus and successive Eucalyptus planting. Soil chemical and biological properties were measured and a soil quality index was calculated using principal component analysis. Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, alkaline hydrolytic nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, cellobiosidase, phenol oxidase, peroxidase and acid phosphatase activities were significantly lower in the first and second generations of Eucalyptus plantations compared with Pinus plantation, but they were significantly higher in the third and fourth generations than in the first and second generations and significantly lower than in Pinus plantation. Soil total and available potassium were significantly lower in Eucalyptus plantations (1.8–2.5 g kg−1 and 26–66 mg kg−1) compared to the Pinus plantation (14.3 g kg−1 and 92 mg kg−1), but total phosphorus was significantly higher in Eucalyptus plantations (0.9–1.1 g kg−1) compared to the Pinus plantation (0.4 g kg−1). As an integrated indicator, soil quality index was highest in the Pinus plantation (0.92) and lowest in the first and second generations of Eucalyptus plantations (0.24 and 0.13). Soil quality index in the third and fourth generations (0.36 and 0.38) was between that in Pinus plantation and in first and second generations of Eucalyptus plantations. Changing tree species, reclamation and fertilization may have contributed to the change observed in soil quality during conversion of Pinus to Eucalyptus and successive Eucalyptus planting. Litter retention, keeping understorey coverage, and reducing soil disturbance during logging and subsequent establishment of the next rotation should be considered to help improving soil quality.


Purpose: Multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease. New approaches to develop better tools for improving patient prognostication and monitoring treatment efficacy are very much needed. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of metabolomics by 1H-NMR to provide information on metabolic profiles that could be useful in the management of multiple myeloma. Experimental Design: Serum samples were collected from multiple myeloma patients at the time of diagnosis and after achieving complete remission. A matched control set of samples was also included in the study. The 1H-NMR measurements used to obtain the metabolic profile for each patient were followed by the application of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to determine significant differences. Results: Metabolic profiles of multiple myeloma patients at diagnosis exhibited higher levels of isoleucine, arginine, acetate, phenylalanine, and tyrosine, and decreased levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate, lysine, glutamine, and some lipids compared with the control set. A similar analysis conducted in multiple myeloma patients after achieving complete remission indicated that some of the metabolic changes (i.e., glutamine, cholesterol, lysine) observed at diagnosis displayed a variation in the opposite direction upon responding to treatment, thus contributing to multiple myeloma patients having a closer metabolic profile to those of healthy individuals after the disappearance of major disease manifestations. Conclusions: The results highlight the potential of metabolic profiles obtained by 1H-NMR in identifying multiple myeloma biomarkers that may be useful to objectively discriminate individuals with and without multiple myeloma, and monitor response to treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 19(17); 4770–9. ©2013 AACR.


Computational methods for kinematic synthesis of mechanisms for motion generation problems require input in the form of precision positions. Given the highly nonlinear nature of the problem, solutions to these methods are overly sensitive to the input—a small perturbation to even a single position of a given motion can change the topology and dimensions of the synthesized mechanisms drastically. Thus, the synthesis becomes a blind iterative process of maneuvering precision positions in the hope of finding good solutions. In this paper, we present a deep-learning-based framework which manages the uncertain user input and provides the user with a higher level control of the design process. The framework also imputes the input with missing information required by the computational algorithms. The approach starts by learning the probability distribution of possible linkage parameters with a deep generative modeling technique, called variational auto encoder (VAE). This facilitates capturing salient features of the user input and relating them with possible linkage parameters. Then, input samples resembling the inferred salient features are generated and fed to the computational methods of kinematic synthesis. The framework postprocesses the solutions and presents the concepts to the user along with a handle to visualize the variants of each concept. We define this approach as variational synthesis of mechanisms. In addition, we also present an alternate end-to-end deep neural network architecture for variational synthesis of linkages. This end-to-end architecture is a conditional-VAE, which approximates the conditional distribution of linkage parameters with respect to a coupler trajectory distribution. The outcome is a probability distribution of kinematic linkages for an unknown coupler path or motion. This framework functions as a bridge between the current state of the art theoretical and computational kinematic methods and machine learning to enable designers to create practical mechanism design solutions.


Background: Recurrent dislocations after a first-time lateral patellar dislocation may occur in more than 50% of patients and can cause long-term disability. Many factors have been suggested to influence the risk of recurrence. Purpose: To systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the literature for factors associated with an increased risk of recurrence after a first-time patellar dislocation. Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Methods: A total of 4 electronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies published before February 7, 2019. A quality assessment was performed with the National Heart, Lung, and Bone Institute quality assessment score. Factors assessed for their effect on the recurrence rate were documented, and the rates of recurrence were compared. Pooled dichotomous data were analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis with odds ratios (ORs). Results: A total of 17 studies met the criteria for inclusion. The overall rate of recurrent dislocations after a first-time lateral patellar dislocation was 33.6%. An increased risk of recurrence was reported in patients with a younger age (OR, 2.61; P < .00001), open physes (OR, 2.72; P < .00001), trochlear dysplasia (OR, 4.15; P = .009), an elevated tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance (OR, 2.87; P < .00001), and patella alta (OR, 2.38; P = .004). Sex, patterns of medial patellofemoral ligament injury, and history of contralateral dislocations were not found to be associated with an increased recurrence rate (P≥ .05). In studies that reported on the presence of multiple risk factors, recurrence rates were 7.7% to 13.8% when no risk factors were present but increased to 29.6% to 60.2% when 2 risk factors were present and to 70.4% to 78.5% when 3 risk factors were present. Conclusion: Younger age, open physes, trochlear dysplasia, elevated TT-TG distance, and patella alta were key risk factors for the recurrence of lateral patellar dislocations. Despite being not infrequently cited as risk factors, patient sex and a history of contralateral dislocations were not found to be significant risk factors. The presence of multiple risk factors increased the risk, and the development of predictive instability scores in large patient cohorts using all established risk factors should be a focus of future studies.


The pathological changes observed in 76 hernial sacs removed at operations for inguinal hernias are reported. The shape and size of hernial sacs varied from case to case, containing from small to large amounts of adipose tissue and, sometimes, also of smooth muscle. The role played by this muscular tissue is not yet clear; it is possible that it acts as supportive tissue against hernial sac enlargement. In one case schistosomotic granuloma and in the other a metastasis of ovarian carcinoma was found. For better understanding of the evolution of hernias and for the diagnosis of associated diseases there is the need for routine pathological examination of hernial sacs.


We consider networks for interconnecting parallel computers that are parameterized by their degree (fan-out) of the switches that are used to build the network. Electronic networks tend towards the small fan-out/large diameter end of the spectrum due to limitations on the fan-out of electronic switches. The fan-out of systems of optical switches is anticipated to be significantly higher than electronic switches. Thus it has been suggested that optics can be used to build the complete network which is the most desirable of Clos's family of networks. Even optics, however, has limits on the fan-out of switches in any given configuration. Thus in this paper, we describe an implementation of a network with a significantly smaller degree and slightly larger network diameter than the complete network. The network that we implement is called the mesh-connected bus network. We remark, however, that it is essentially an implementation of the second most desirable network in the family of networks defined by Clos, which is widely referred to as the Clos network. We implement the network using novel free-space optical interconnection techniques along with a multiple-access scheme based on wavelength-division multiplexing. >


OBJECTIVE
To examine potential pathways between childhood depressive symptoms and adolescent cigarette use, controlling for potential "third variable" causes.

DESIGN
Participants included 250 youth (60% girls) who were in Grades 4 to 6 at study outset and in Grades 10 to 12 (M age = 16.78) at a 6-year follow-up. At Time 1, children completed measures of depressive symptoms, as well as peer nominations of peer acceptance, rejection, and aggressive behavior.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Time 2 measures included adolescents' own and close friends' cigarette use, depressive symptoms, and externalizing behaviors; parents also reported on adolescent behaviors.

RESULTS
Higher levels of childhood depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior were associated longitudinally with cigarette use in adolescence. After controlling for other associations, higher levels of childhood depressive symptoms also were associated with higher levels of friends' cigarette use in adolescence and higher levels of adolescent depressive symptoms; each of these adolescent outcomes was concurrently associated with cigarette use.

CONCLUSION
Depressive symptoms in childhood may lead to altered developmental trajectories that either directly or indirectly contribute to adolescent outcomes, including cigarette use.


The history, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of phencyclidine hydrochloride (PCP) intoxication and the pharmacology of PCP are reviewed. Intoxication with low to moderate doses of PCP (5-20 mg) resembles an acute, confusional state generally lasting four to six hours. High doses (greater than 20 mg) may cause serious neurologic and cardiovascular complications and the patient is often comatose for several days. Treatment involves supportive psychological and medical measures. Evacuation of the stomach with activated charcoal and a saline cathartic may be indicated and succinylcholine chloride may ease intubation. Diazepam and chlorpromazine may be used to control the combative patient and the "PCP psychosis" patient, respectively. Antihypertensive agents are not usually needed, but diazoxide and hydralazine hydrochloride have been used to treat hypertensive crises. Diazepam and phenytoin have been used to treat seizures. Ion-trapping by continuous gastric suctioning and by urine acidification with ammonium chloride may increase clearance of PCP. Forced diuresis with furosemide in conjunction with acidification may further increase PCP clearance. Use of physostigmine is based on conjecture.


In this work, plastic foams were prepared from plant oil resins based on soybean oil and castor oil. Firstly, epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) reacted with acrylic acid using N, N-dimethyl benzyl amine as the catalyst, and castor oil was modified with maleic anhydride, respectively. Acid number was used to monitor the reaction process, and structures of the resultant acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and maleate castor oil (MACO) were proved by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements. It was found that the catalyst is quite effective in synthesizing AESO. Then, plastic foams based on AESO and MACO were synthesized through free radical initiated copolymerization with diluent monomers including styrene and methyl methacrylate. Mechanical properties, reinforcing effect of sisal fiber and biodegradable feature of the foams were characterized, showing the suitability of the bio-foams for acting as packaging materials.


This study uses econometric gravity equations to test whether the WTO has promoted successful regional trade agreements (RTA). Two important findings emerge. First, we find that two countries that are members of the GATT/WTO and enter into a regional trade agreement stimulate trade. However, the effect on trade is not nearly as large as that between two RTA members that belong to the GATT/WTO. Contrary to the findings in Rose (2004), this result tends to support the fact that the GATT/WTO has liberalized multilateral trade, outside of RTAs. In other words, the effect of an RTA on countries' trade who are not party to the GATT/WTO should generate a large RTA trade response due to relatively large pre-existing trade distortions. Second, we show that the GATT/WTO has not promoted successful RTAs using explicit RTA variables that controls for the notification status (to the GATT/WTO) of an RTA. Interestingly, non-notified RTAs trade significantly more than their notified counterparts.


In addition to the current state of knowledge about the learning of mathematics and
its aims in today�s society, the main purpose of this paper is discussing ways of improving the
process of learning, and especially, in that regard, the role of e-learning technologies. We chart
the situation of e-learning mathematics as of December, 2005, including distance-learning or
open university courses, and then we consider a number of areas where e-learning is likely
to develop. Finally, we assess the impact of e-learning on the role of the new educators in
mathematics.


We discuss the problems in defining the extent of the proteomes for completely sequenced eukaryotic organisms (i.e. the total number of protein-coding sequences), focusing on yeast, worm, fly and human. (i) Six years after completion of its genome sequence, the true size of the yeast proteome is still not defined. New small genes are still being discovered, and a large number of existing annotations are being called into question, with these questionable ORFs (qORFs) comprising up to one-fifth of the 'current' proteome. We discuss these in the context of an ideal genome-annotation strategy that considers the proteome as a rigorously defined subset of all possible coding sequences ('the orfome'). (ii) Despite the greater apparent complexity of the fly (more cells, more complex physiology, longer lifespan), the nematode worm appears to have more genes. To explain this, we compare the annotated proteomes of worm and fly, relating to both genome-annotation and genome evolution issues. (iii) The unexpectedly small size of the gene complement estimated for the complete human genome provoked much public debate about the nature of biological complexity. However, in the first instance, for the human genome, the relationship between gene number and proteome size is far from simple. We survey the current estimates for the numbers of human genes and, from this, we estimate a range for the size of the human proteome. The determination of this is substantially hampered by the unknown extent of the cohort of pseudogenes ('dead' genes), in combination with the prevalence of alternative splicing. (Further information relating to yeast is available at http://genecensus.org/yeast/orfome)


Diabetic maculopathy is the major cause of irreversible vision loss due to retinopathy and is found in 10% of the world diabetic population. Compulsory mass screening will help to identify the maculopathy at early stage and reduce the risk of severe vision loss. In this paper, we present a computer based system for automatic detection and grading of diabetic maculopathy severity level without manual intervention. The optic disc is detected automatically and its location and diameter is used to detect fovea and to mark the macular region respectively. Next, hard exudates are detected using clustering and mathematical morphological techniques. Based on the location of exudates in marked macular region the severity level of maculopathy is classified into mild, moderate and severe. The method achieves a sensitivity of 95.6% and specificity of 96.15% with 148 retinal images for detecting maculopathy stages in fundus images as comparable to that of human expert.


In the literature, there are various approaches of leadership (also called styles or theories) identified as distinct ones. The two most referred ones are transformational and transactional leadership approaches. This research compares and contrasts the two theories of leadership in terms of their impact on IT supported organizational performance. The main objective of the study is to assess the extent they are practiced and their impact on performance. A survey will be made on selected companies to assess how subordinates will evaluate their leaders in terms of the attributes of the two styles of leadership. Questionnaires based on the Likert scale will be used to gather relevant data for the study. A model which has been developed based on the framework of Thite will be used to test the hypotheses forwarded. The research will contribute significantly by providing new insight into how a leader's style will influence organizational performance in an Ethiopian context.


Unravelling the effect of climate variability on species biology has been one of the main goals of ecological studies. Environmental factors such as river discharge and temperature have being proposed as triggers of reproductive cycle in fish. In temperate climates, fish reproduction is affected mainly by temperature, while is influenced by flood pulses in large tropical rivers. We evaluated the influence of temperature and river discharge as triggers of Iheringichthys labrosus' reproduction. We studied the following reproductive variables: gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and condition factor (K). Females of I. labrosus were examined in a time series of ten years along three sites located in Lower Uruguay River at the beginning (last week of November‐first week of December, spring) and by the end of the reproductive period (middle‐end of April, autumn). Generalised linear models detected a positive effect of mean winter temperature and site on the spring mature female GSI. Site was significant in addition to the interaction between temperature and site. Moreover, the effect of winter temperature was stronger than water discharge in triggering reproductive timing of I. labrosus, contrary to the model proposed for other species in tropical systems. Additionally, a literature review suggested a latitudinal gradient on reproduction, occurring earlier and prolonged with decreasing latitude (and increasing temperature). In this study, we stated the effect of temperature on the life history in a Neotropical fish using a multifaceted approach, particularly important in the current context of global climate warming.


OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were to study the relationships between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and preeclampsia risk, maternal genetic variation in 3 vitamin D metabolism genes (GC, CYP27B1, VDR) and preeclampsia risk, and variation in the same genes and 25(OH)D. METHODS: We used two racially diverse pregnancy cohorts (EVITA and Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP)) to achieve these objectives. We estimated the association between log-transformed 25(OH)D and preeclampsia risk in EVITA by using log-binomial regression with restricted cubic splines. In EVITA and CPP, we used multivariable logistic and linear regression models to estimate the associations between allelic variation and preeclampsia risk, and genotype and log-transformed 25(OH)D, respectively. Meta-analyses were conducted to calculate estimates of association between and within cohorts. RESULTS: Dose-response associations of 25(OH)D were observed for both severe and mild preeclampsia. Trends of associations were observed in genetic variation and preeclampsia risk. Compared with major allele carriers, Black mothers in EVITA who carried the minor allele for rs11732451 GC single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and 2 VDR SNPs (rs4340112, rs10459217) had increased odds of preeclampsia, while the odds were lowered for those who carried the minor allele for 1 GC SNP (rs1099028) and 2 VDR SNPs(rs757344, rs12721364). In the meta-analysis, two VDR SNPs (rs886441 and rs2853561) had trends of decreased odds of preeclampsia for all Black mothers. For the 25(OH)D analysis, statistically significant associations were observed. Compared with those with major allele genotypes, mothers with minor allele genotypes of rs1844885 (GC) and rs11168275 (VDR) had increased 25(OH)D and of rs11732451 (GC) had lowered 25(OH)D. In the meta-analysis on all Black mothers, rs1844885 (GC) was associated with increased 25(OH)D while there was a trend of decreased 25(OH)D for rs10877016 (CYP27B1). CONCLUSIONS: Low 25(OH)D may be enough to reduce risk of preeclampsia. If our findings are confirmed in a replication study, genetic variation may be an independent risk factor for maternal 25(OH)D, making the findings of this research relevant to public health.